Thirty years ago today, I turned 18. It’s really the only birthday I remember. Probably because it involved football.

My parents cooked breakfast at my house for the football team before we played Matawan (New Jersey) in an away game. The offense they ran was called the “single wing.” It looks a lot like the “wild cat” offense everyone is running today. I think we won by a score of 26 to 7.

At its core, the object of the game of football is this: the 11 men on offense try to move the ball across the goal line. If they do that, they get six points. The 11 men on defense try to stop them and ideally take the ball away from them. The offense has a goal and the defense opposes them as they try to achieve it.

That’s football. Simple, right?

Obviously, there’s a lot that goes into what I just described, especially the longer you play the game. I helped coach my son’s team a couple years ago when he was in 7th grade. The offensive game plan was pretty much “hand the ball to the biggest kid.” And for the most part, it worked.

Now my son is on the 9th grade team at Woodland Jr. High and there’s a lot more involved. There are more formations and plays. Blocking assignments are more complex. Players have to read and react to what the other team is trying to do. The mental part of the game is just as important now as the physical.

As he goes on to play in high school, things will only become more complex. And for the few who play college ball or go on to the NFL, well, it’s an entirely new level of complexity, speed, strength and skill.

And yet, the fundamental objective of the game is unchanged. The offense tries to reach the goal line while the defense opposes them. If you’re going to win, you’ve got to at least understand that part, right?

That’s football, but what about in life? What is the fundamental objective? What’s the goal? And who’s opposing me?

In my previous post, I concluded with Solomon’s words from Ecclesiastes 12:

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Let me say it a different way:

The fundamental objective of life is God. Period.

It’s not ME. And it’s not YOU.

It’s not work. It’s not pleasure. It’s not money. It’s not success. It’s not a happy marriage. It’s not a happy family.

Now there’s nothing wrong with any of those, but they aren’t the goal. It would be like saying the objective of football is to gain the most yards. You can gain the most yards and still lose the game.

The fundamental objective of life is God. It’s to know Him, love Him, honor Him and serve Him. It’s to live in such awe and respect of Him that we’re motivated to live life according to His ways.

I guess you could say that’s our offensive game plan. And when we execute that plan, it’s kind of like having God on our team. Actually, it would be more accurate to say we’re on His team, but you get the idea.

On the other hand, if we insist on living life according to our own game plan, then it’s kind of like God switches teams. James 4:6 says…

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Who are the proud?

Those who have their own game plan. Those who want to call their own plays. Those who think they know better than God.

When we live that way, God lines up to oppose us.

Why?

Because He designed this life and knows how it’s to be lived. Because He’s the point of it all. And because He loves us more than we can even comprehend. And He knows that if we continue on with our own game plan that the end result is a loss. Loss of life. Loss of love. Loss of peace. Loss of joy. Loss of reward. Loss of everything that really matters.

Want to know an easy way to determine whether you’re running your own plays or God’s?

If you often find yourself frustrated, angry or depressed–you’re running your own plays. When we have a goal and it gets blocked, that’s how we respond. If you are directing your own life (that’s pride), then God is faithfully opposing you for your own good.

Let me encourage you to call timeout and think about what you’re doing. You can have all the best players. You can have really great plays. You can have an exciting game plan. But you cannot win with God opposing you.

The next sentence in James says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God.”

That’s the only game plan you need.

When we live according to God’s plan, it doesn’t mean there are no obstacles or painful circumstances. You won’t find anyone in the Bible who walked with God and didn’t suffer. But when we sync up with God and His ways, we experience His power, His wisdom, His peace, His everything as we go through life. You will experience what it’s like to be lined up with God, not against Him.

Submit to God. Give up your own plans and your own ways. His game plan for your life is so much better than yours.

After a very frustrating season of my life a number of years ago, I finally surrendered to God with a prayer like this, “Lord, I give up. Do whatever you want with me.”

If you’re tired of having God lined up to oppose you, try that prayer and see what happens.